R & B Music Discussion
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Hot Shots: Alicia Keys Classes It Up In ‘W’
Check out R&B diva Alicia Keys posing it up in the latest issue of ‘W’ magazine.
The soulful songstress is celebrating 10 years since the release of her debut effort ‘Songs In A Minor’. Speaking to the publication about breaking into the business, she said:
The soulful songstress is celebrating 10 years since the release of her debut effort ‘Songs In A Minor’. Speaking to the publication about breaking into the business, she said:
“I just wanted to be who I was, which was like so many other girls I knew. We grew up in the city, had a hard edge and obstacles to overcome, but we were still young and beautiful. I didn’t want to be all dressed up, all made up—I wanted to be myself, which hadn’t been done before.â€
“I was a young girl with very strong ideas but no experience. I just knew that everything else I was doing was wrong—that all the suggestions weren’t what was in my mind, they weren’t what it was meant to be.â€
“How terrible would it have been if I had come out with some watered-down version of who I am? People fell in love with the real me, and I still feel blessed that that was how the journey began.â€
“I was a young girl with very strong ideas but no experience. I just knew that everything else I was doing was wrong—that all the suggestions weren’t what was in my mind, they weren’t what it was meant to be.â€
“How terrible would it have been if I had come out with some watered-down version of who I am? People fell in love with the real me, and I still feel blessed that that was how the journey began.â€
Having fun ... Ciara at the Fusion nightclub on Friday night
AMERICAN R&B star Ciara warmed up for Saturday’s gig at the Borrowdale Racecourse by sampling the local hospitality at a Harare nightclub on Friday night. Ciara arrived in Harare on Thursday, followed by 'Put Your Lighters Up' star Lil’ Kim and DJ Scratch on Friday. Hit maker Timbaland and Fat Joe were set to arrive in time for the evening gig.
Goodies’ star Ciara had earlier addressed a press conference where she admitted she had not heard of Zimbabwe before she was booked.
She was criticised for apparently snubbing her fans when she arrived on Thursday, and she went all out to make up for that at Fusion. The 25-year-old took the microphone and thanked fans for their love before taking a seat in the VIP area. She stood up a few times to dance, drawing wild cheers from the crowd. The singer was joined by a few girl pals. She downed a couple of Red Bulls while her friends treated themselves to some Cognac.
Lil’ Kim spent most of Friday in South Africa where she revealed she turned down opportunities to perform in Houston and Puerto Rico to come to Africa. “It’s going to be absolutely crazy. I’m saving my best performances for all the people in Africa. Whatever songs you want, I will perform and only in my body suit,” she said.
The stars will perform in Zimbabwe before heading for South Africa where they are booked for three gigs. They were brought to Africa by flamboyant South African businessman Kenny Kunene and his partner Gayton McKenzie. Their company ZAR Empire, owns a chain of upmarket nightclubs and restaurants in South Africa.
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Harare Put Your Lighters Up ... Lil' Kim at the Harare International Airport on Friday night
Kunene said they are launching a Zimbabwean subsidiary called ZAR Ent. Known as 'Mr Sushy' in South Africa, Kunene has already left an impression on Lil' Kim. “As I got out the airport, there was Kenny waiting for me by his Lamborghini, looking all fly," the singer said. “The man’s got style and lots of it." The cheapest ticket for Saturday’s show was going for US$50.
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Harare Put Your Lighters Up ... Lil' Kim at the Harare International Airport on Friday night
Walmart sure knows how to party. The retail giant held its annual shareholders’ meeting at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Friday (June 3). The star-studded corporate gig was hosted by Will Smith and featured performances from Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas, and “American Idol” winner Scotty McCreery.
“How’s everybody feeling today? Thank you so much for having me. I want to give a big, big shout-out to all my people from Walmart all over the world here tonight,” said Alicia, taking a seat at the piano in a leg-baring blue dress with hot pink heels.
“I’d like to tell you a little bit about where I’m from,” she told stockholders and employees before performing “Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down” and “No One.” The 10th anniversary edition of her debut songs in A minor will be released to Walmart stores and other retailers on June 28.
“How’s everybody feeling today? Thank you so much for having me. I want to give a big, big shout-out to all my people from Walmart all over the world here tonight,” said Alicia, taking a seat at the piano in a leg-baring blue dress with hot pink heels.
“I’d like to tell you a little bit about where I’m from,” she told stockholders and employees before performing “Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down” and “No One.” The 10th anniversary edition of her debut songs in A minor will be released to Walmart stores and other retailers on June 28.
Jay Sean asks “Where Do We Go” on the first release from his mixtape The Mistress featuring acoustic renditions of original songs and his spin on some beloved classics. The Cash Money crooner tries to put back the pieces of a broken relationship on the stripped-down ballad, which is also accompanied by a video of him in the studio, cruising in his Bentley, and walking on the Miami streets. His 4th studio album Freeze Time is due later this year.
[video=youtube;E-foWMRLuEo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-foWMRLuEo&feature=player_embedded[/video]
[video=youtube;E-foWMRLuEo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-foWMRLuEo&feature=player_embedded[/video]
Chris Brown is to join an already impressive list of performers at this year’s BET Awards. Airing live on June 26th at 8pm EST, the annual award show will also see appearances from Alicia Keys and Trey Songz.
The performance will come one year after Brown’s emotional tribute to deceased icon Michael Jackson and no more than three years after his explosive duet with fellow performer Ciara.
Nominated for 6 awards, the ‘Beautiful People’ singer will take to the stage this year to deliver a rendition of music lifted from his latest album,‘FAME‘ which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200.
Full story below…
The performance will come one year after Brown’s emotional tribute to deceased icon Michael Jackson and no more than three years after his explosive duet with fellow performer Ciara.
Nominated for 6 awards, the ‘Beautiful People’ singer will take to the stage this year to deliver a rendition of music lifted from his latest album,‘FAME‘ which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200.
Alicia Keys is committed to making a change for women everywhere. The “Superwoman” was one of the celebrities invited to speak on the panel at “HIV Priorities for Positive Change: In Women’s Words” during the United Nations conference on AIDS in New York City.
“World leaders r meetin @UN ths wk 2 set the agenda on #AIDS 4 the next 10 yrs. Was jus @UN_Women @UNAIDS event. Time 2 chg the world!” tweeted the Keep a Child Alive co-founder, who advocated for AIDS treatment.
In between her good deeds, the singer has been recording her next album. “Aww man!!! this NEW music is coming out INSANE!!!!!!!!! ohhhweeeee!!!” she told her fans.
“World leaders r meetin @UN ths wk 2 set the agenda on #AIDS 4 the next 10 yrs. Was jus @UN_Women @UNAIDS event. Time 2 chg the world!” tweeted the Keep a Child Alive co-founder, who advocated for AIDS treatment.
In between her good deeds, the singer has been recording her next album. “Aww man!!! this NEW music is coming out INSANE!!!!!!!!! ohhhweeeee!!!” she told her fans.
They have a colourful history together, however Whitney Houston’s mentor Clive Davis has announced that no more pages will be added to their illustrious story – until her “golden voice” is back.
Full story after the jump…
Davis’ comments came during a recent radio interview with KOST 103.5.
When the show’s hosts probed him for a non-tabloid take on Houston’s situation, Davis simply echoed what she herself announced last month: she is on a long-course recovery from alcohol and drug addtion.
However the music mogul elaborated, adding that the 47 year old diva is also battling an addiction to cigarrettes. An addition he hopes she’ll overcome soon, as there’ll not be a follow-up to 2009’s ‘I Look To You’ until her “golden voice is back”.
Full story after the jump…
Davis’ comments came during a recent radio interview with KOST 103.5.
When the show’s hosts probed him for a non-tabloid take on Houston’s situation, Davis simply echoed what she herself announced last month: she is on a long-course recovery from alcohol and drug addtion.
However the music mogul elaborated, adding that the 47 year old diva is also battling an addiction to cigarrettes. An addition he hopes she’ll overcome soon, as there’ll not be a follow-up to 2009’s ‘I Look To You’ until her “golden voice is back”.
Ten years after her breakthrough debut, Alicia Keys is reflecting on one of her biggest hits. The R&B songstress shares that “If I Ain’t Got You” was inspired by the sudden death of Aaliyah.
“‘If I Ain’t Got You’ was also such an incredible song for me, it just means so much. Certain songs change everything. This was one of them,” she said of the single from 2003’s The Diary of Alicia Keys. “The song idea came together right after Aaliyah passed away. It was such a sad time and no one wanted to believe it. It just made everything crystal clear to me—what matters, and what doesn’t.”
The piano ballad still holds a special place in her heart. “I remember writing the beginnings of it on a flight somewhere and then finished it in the hotel once I got where we were going,” she added. “It came quickly and I was so moved to write it and it doesn’t matter how many times I sing it, I love it with the same intensity as when I first wrote and recorded it.”
She also reminisced about working with a then unknown Kanye West on “You Don’t Know My Name.” “Here was this new and extremely eager guy who had so much to prove,” she wrote. “I remember the first day we got together to work on what would become ‘You Don’t Know My Name.’ He played me the rough idea of his first hit single ‘Through the Wire.’ He was just as much a ball of fire then as he is now.”
Alicia will release the 10th anniversary edition of her Grammy-winning album songs in A minor on June 28 and perform at this year’s BET Awards.
“‘If I Ain’t Got You’ was also such an incredible song for me, it just means so much. Certain songs change everything. This was one of them,” she said of the single from 2003’s The Diary of Alicia Keys. “The song idea came together right after Aaliyah passed away. It was such a sad time and no one wanted to believe it. It just made everything crystal clear to me—what matters, and what doesn’t.”
The piano ballad still holds a special place in her heart. “I remember writing the beginnings of it on a flight somewhere and then finished it in the hotel once I got where we were going,” she added. “It came quickly and I was so moved to write it and it doesn’t matter how many times I sing it, I love it with the same intensity as when I first wrote and recorded it.”
She also reminisced about working with a then unknown Kanye West on “You Don’t Know My Name.” “Here was this new and extremely eager guy who had so much to prove,” she wrote. “I remember the first day we got together to work on what would become ‘You Don’t Know My Name.’ He played me the rough idea of his first hit single ‘Through the Wire.’ He was just as much a ball of fire then as he is now.”
Alicia will release the 10th anniversary edition of her Grammy-winning album songs in A minor on June 28 and perform at this year’s BET Awards.